<p>This study investigates how the timing of interviews relative to summer school breaks influences adults’ self-reported happiness, using harmonized data from the European Social Survey across 16 countries (2023–2024). By linking individual-level responses with detailed national school holiday calendars, we examine whether the likelihood of reporting happiness varies by parental status, gender, and the duration of school closures. Our findings reveal a consistent seasonal uplift in reported happiness among childless men across all contexts. In contrast, mothers experience a significantly smaller—or entirely absent—summer boost, particularly in countries with medium or long school breaks. Fathers show a summer dip in happiness in short-break contexts, and a recovery in settings with longer breaks. Childless women display more heterogeneous and context-sensitive patterns. These results highlight not only a pronounced gender asymmetry, but also sharp differences by parental status—especially between mothers and childless women, and between fathers and childless men. The findings suggest that caregiving responsibilities, intensified by the length and structure of summer breaks, contribute to uneven seasonal happiness gains across family roles. By shedding light on these dynamics, the study informs ongoing policy debates on school calendars, gender equity, and the need for accessible, supportive summer childcare.</p>